My Dog has Cancer
Life has a funny way of bringing you back down to earth, an expression you’ve probably heard many times. We are coasting along without a care in the world only to be reminded that the next problem or concern is right around the corner. When something happens like your best friend being given a timeline you thought would never come it brings a wave of emotions over you. Sadness followed by anger mixed with a little confusion all do a dance together in your mind and emotions.
The harsh reality of life is it is short, much shorter than any of us really want to admit and so we play the numbers game as John Mayer once said in his song “Stop this Train.” When my dog first started experiencing symptoms I held out for hope that maybe it was a fluke, an infection or allergies that had caused her lymph nodes to swell up. Admittedly I even prayed, a resort I had put on the shelf for a while seemingly only necessary in times of need but when the Cancer was confirmed my emotions drifted back into anger. If there is a God why would you punish and make an innocent animal suffer, one who I have never seen have a mean bone in her body only later to regret my frustration.
Some things in life just aren’t understandable but we have beginnings and ends many times throughout our lives. They are not there to bring us up and then crash us back down but rather to make us appreciate them more. If everything was infinite would we really appreciate our time and cherish moments and memories? I think it's natural to have a harsh reaction as I mentioned above but when the dust settles and we are able to reflect we see there is meaning in everything.
I love my dog, she’s been there without fail through the good and bad times knowing her role, even as I sit here writing this she’s by my side as I enjoy a cup of coffee watching the sunrise slowly changing the scenery on the mountains. She’s taught me to reframe my way of thinking, to be grateful for the time we spent together and to cherish the little time we have left. It’s made me pause more often than I have over the last few years to soak up the moment, to love deeper, to say things to those I love with more conviction. Life will have its hard moments, it’s inevitable, but how we respond shapes the person we are and the person we want to become. So today and every day forward do your best to be present, to love deeper, and to cherish moments as they come because tomorrow is not guaranteed for any of us.
